The Bergwerk Saar coal mine in Ensdorf, Germany, was shut down June 29, 2012, Getty reported. Operated by RAG AG, Bergwerk Saar is the last mine in the Saar region that has a mining tradition dating back to 1730. Together with the coal mines of the Ruhr region, the Saar mines played a crucial role in the industrialization of western Germany and once employed tens of thousands of miners.

Share